City meetings that are accessible and open to public participation are at the heart of local government. It’s now been more than five months since the City’s transition to holding City Council and other public meetings remotely due to COVID-19. Meet the “dynamic duo” behind this effort, City Clerk Rebekah Barr and Administrative Clerk LaTonya … Continued
Despite overall City budget reductions of more than $1.1 million this fiscal year, the City of Sonoma’s contract with Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue Authority for fire and emergency medical services includes continuation of three firefighter/paramedic positions added last year using a federal grant. The City pays only one-third of the cost for these positions … Continued
A partnership of the City of Sonoma and the nonprofit organization Friends in Sonoma Helping (F.I.S.H.) for rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic helped 233 local families and individuals during the months of May – July. Eighty percent of those assisted through the rental assistance partnership live and/or work in the City of Sonoma, while … Continued
Sonoma voters will be able to weigh in on four local ballot measures in the November 2020 election. Three of these measures were placed on the ballot by the City Council, and one by a citizens initiative. Information on each measure, including ballot documents, additional background, and/or frequently asked questions, can be found on the … Continued
As the coronavirus pandemic is significantly impacting City revenues along with the local economy, the City’s focus is on supporting the community throughout this public health and economic crisis, while setting a flexible course of action for funding City services. Key revenues like hotel taxes are being closely monitored, and the City’s financial reserves or … Continued
At the August 17, 2020 Sonoma City Council meeting, the Council approved an urgency ordinance authorizing administrative enforcement of COVID-19 public health orders in the City of Sonoma. This ordinance supports local enforcement of county and state health orders in order to protect the health of Sonoma’s most vulnerable community members, the capacity of our … Continued
Like many of our local businesses and residents, the City of Sonoma is facing critical financial challenges from the pandemic and resulting shelter-in-place. City revenues, like our local economy, are tourism-driven. Hotel taxes (also called transient occupancy tax or TOT) and sales taxes make up the majority of our General Fund, so businesses being shut down or operating below capacity has a significant impact on the revenues used … Continued
A revision of the Notice of Limited Permitting and Inspection Operations for the City of Sonoma (Revision #5) is effective June 8, 2020. This revision allows for the submittal and processing of all building permit applications and allows for the inspection for all projects, including occupied buildings.
In mid-2019, the Sonoma City Council completed a Minimum Wage Study process and adopted a local minimum wage ordinance, which became Chapter 2.80 of the Sonoma Municipal Code. Sonoma’s local minimum wage is structured similarly to the State minimum wage, with different wage rates for large employers (26 or more employees) and small employers (25 or fewer … Continued
Well-maintained streets are important both to our residents’ daily quality of life and to vehicular and pedestrian safety. The City of Sonoma’s streets received a rating of “Good” in the latest Pavement Condition Index (PCI) for Bay Area cities and counties, a detailed assessment of local roadway conditions provided by the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission. … Continued
