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City of Sebastopol
Community Newsletter
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March 3 - March 9 Special Weekly Edition of
Sebastopol Community Newsletter
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| | SPRING IS ON THE WAY, BUT FIRST SOME RAIN! | | |
Here’s an update from Public Works on the City’s storm preparations.
We have a supply of approximately 2000 sandbags and 7 to 10 yards of sand available to the public. Public Works staff have continuously been checking and cleaning storm drain inlets this week and will do so throughout the storm event. Chainsaws and critical small equipment have been serviced, sharpened and are ready for service along with mixed fuel supply ready to go. Staff checked and cleared creek inlets and outlets today to ensure debris collection was removed. All critical infrastructure generators have been checked and fuel topped off. Public Works staff will continue to monitor the effects of impending storms and report back if any issues arise.
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The City of Sebastopol Public Works Department offers free sand and sandbags to Sebastopol residents. Individuals may pick up sand and sandbags sunrise to sunset in the city parking area to the rear of the Sebastopol Youth Annex at 425 Morris Street (see map below).
Please note that residents must fill the sandbags themselves. Shovels will be available onsite. The maximum number of bags per resident is 25.
| | DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME STARTS ON SUNDAY | | |
Don't forget, Daylight Saving Time starts and the clocks spring forward this Sunday, March 12th.
Let daylight saving time serve as a reminder that when you change your clocks, also check and change your batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
| | UPCOMING BUDGET MEETING - MARCH 14TH | | |
Important budget meetings are coming up, and the first meeting is March 14th. The public is invited to join the meeting via Zoom. See the Meeting Page link for the meeting agenda and Zoom info.
FY23-24 Budget Discussion #1
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Time: 9:00 AM
Meeting Page
Zoom Link
Have a say in how your tax dollars are spent!
| | COMMUNITY GARDEN SPRING REVITALIZATION WORK PARTY - MARCH 18TH | |
Sebastopol Community Garden Spring Revitalization Work Party!
Presented by Sebastopol Climate Action Committee
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DATE: Saturday, March 18, 2023
TIME: 10 am - 1 pm
LOCATION: 6785 Laguna Park Way, Sebastopol (Behind the Skate Park)
Come help the Community Garden get freshened up for spring plantings and new gardeners, and pitch in to the visioning process about how to make the site better for more people! We will be weeding, pruning, raking and mulching, and painting, with good company and snacks! Coordinators will be on hand to help direct tasks, and it’s a great chance to connect with fellow garden enthusiasts.
BRING: water, gloves, pruners, cultivators, any favorite gardening tools, and clothes that you can paint in if you’d like to sand and repaint the picnic tables
Questions: Sebastopolsinkscarbon@gmail.com
To inquire about renting a garden box Call 707-823-6167 (City of Sebastopol) or Email Planningtemp@cityofsebastopol.org
$25 security deposit plus $20/year rental for a plot
| | CITY OF SEBASTOPOL HOUSING ELEMENT IN FULL COMPLIANCE | | |
All cities in the State of California are required to maintain a General Plan and Housing Element, which is one of the required chapters of the General Plan and plans for housing within the City of Sebastopol from 2023-2031. The “Sixth Cycle” Housing Element is approved and in full compliance.
When the Department of Housing and Community Development issues a letter finding the Housing Element is in compliance, it is referred to as “certification” of the Housing Element.
Housing Element certification is important for several reasons including local control, Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) carryover, and eligibility for grant funds. In addition, the certified housing element protects the city from the ‘builder’s remedy.’
"The builder’s remedy allows property owners to bypass most local planning and zoning rules if that city or county has failed to complete certification of a state-mandated eight-year housing plan known as a 'housing element'.”1
Letter of Compliance
1 https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/california-housing-problem-17783816.php
| | SEBASTOPOL ELECTRIFICATION SURVEY | |
The City of Sebastopol Climate Action Committee is conducting a brief survey to learn more about residents’ views and needs related to switching from natural gas to electricity in their homes. We are pursuing this with the intention of reducing greenhouse gases and improving air quality. Your input will help guide the City’s efforts on this issue.
Follow the link to share your input: https://bit.ly/SebElectrificationSurvey.
If you have any questions or issues with the survey, please contact ClimateActionCommittee@cityofsebastopol.org. You can learn more about the Climate Action Committee on the City website.
Survey Ends: April 30, 2023
| | CITY OF SEBASTOPOL FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS | |
The City of Sebastopol offers a program aimed at encouraging local businesses and property owners to improve commercial and industrial buildings. Upgrades, maintenance, and aesthetic enhancements will benefit the entire community and enhance the local economy.
With these objectives in mind, subject to funding availability, the Sebastopol Façade Improvement Program will provide a rebate for expenses incurred on new exterior property improvements made to commercial or industrial buildings within the City of Sebastopol.
To apply for the program a building owner or tenant, with the owner’s approval, should fill out the application and include bid estimates for the proposed improvement(s). The Planning Department then reviews the submitted application for completeness and batches them to be reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Design Review Board for approval. The final deadline for applications for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 is:
If you would like to apply for or discuss the program in more detail, please contact John Jay, Associate Planner at (707) 823-6167 or jjay@cityofsebastopol.org.
Visit the Facade Improvement Program page on the City's website for more information.
| | CURRENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | |
Administrative Services Department (Finance)
Accountant
Deadline to Apply: Open Until Filled
Public Works Department and Engineering Department
Permit Technician
Deadline to Apply: March 20, 2023 at 11:59pm
See the city website for additional information and requirements on these current opportunities to participate in the management and growth in our community.
| | COVID-19 INFO & RESOURCES | | |
All meetings will be held both in-person and virtually and are open to the public to attend.
Meetings will be held at the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472, and are open for in-person attendance.
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Agendas for upcoming meetings can be found on the City website by clicking the “Meetings” link on the home page. Agendas will contain information about participating both in-person and virtually in real time when this feature is available.
City Council Meetings:
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Meeting Days: First and Third Tuesday of each month
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Meeting Time: 6pm
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Meeting Location: Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol, CA
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Livestream Link: http://bit.ly/sebcctv
- To submit comments before the meeting:
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For Items Not on the Agenda: Members of the public may submit written emails/comments for items not on the agenda either by email as a public record or by public comment during the public comment period of the virtual City Council meeting. All written emails/comments will be provided to the entire City Council as a public record but will not be read into the minutes at the City Council meeting. Written emails/comments should be received by 5:00 pm of the Council Meeting Date for submission to the entire City Council prior to the meeting and will be included as a part of the record of the meeting. Please submit your comments via email for this meeting to mgourley@cityofsebastopol.org
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For Items Listed on the Agenda: Members of the public may submit written emails/comments for items listed on the agenda either by email as a public record or by public comment during the public comment period of the agenda item during the virtual City Council meeting. Email comments must identify the Agenda Item Number in the subject line of the email. All written emails/comments will be provided to the entire City Council as a public record but will not be read into the minutes at the City Council meeting. Written emails/comments should be received by 5:00 pm of the Council Meeting Date for submission to the entire City Council prior to the meeting and will be included as a part of the record of the meeting. Please submit your comments via email for this meeting to mgourley@cityofsebastopol.org
Planning Commission Meetings:
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Meeting Days: Second and Fourth Tuesday of each month
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Meeting Time: 6pm
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Meeting Location: Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol, CA
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Livestream Link: http://bit.ly/sebcctv
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To submit comments before meeting, send an email to ksvanstrom@cityofsebastopol.org
Design Review Board Meetings:
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Meeting Days: Fourth Tuesday of each month
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Meeting Time: 3:30pm
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Meeting Location: Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol, CA
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Livestream Link: http://bit.ly/sebcctv
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To submit comments before meeting, send an email to jjay@cityofsebastopol.org
Public Arts Committee Meetings:
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Meeting Days: First Wednesday of each month
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Meeting Time: 1:30pm
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Meeting Location: Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol, CA
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Livestream Link: http://bit.ly/sebcctv
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To submit comments before meeting, send an email to ksvanstrom@cityofsebastopol.org
- Next Meeting: There are currently no meetings scheduled.
Climate Action Committee Meetings:
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Meeting Days: Second Tuesday of each month
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Meeting Time: 3pm
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Meeting Location: Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol, CA
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Livestream Link: http://bit.ly/sebcctv
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To submit comments before meeting, send an email to jjay@cityofsebastopol.org
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Next Meeting: There are currently no meetings scheduled.
| | LAGUNA STEWARDSHIP DAY AT MEADOWLARK FIELD - MARCH 11 | |
Help care for and restore critical wildlife habitat - and learn about the Laguna de Santa Rosa!
Join us for this fun and meaningful way to volunteer while enjoying the outdoors along the Laguna de Santa Rosa Trail at Meadowlark Field. Help us continue to steward this amazing site with over 20 years of ongoing habitat restoration projects!
Bring a friend! Bring the kids! No experience needed. Tools and training provided. Wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty. Please bring a water bottle, a smile and some elbow grease. Only heavy rain cancels.
There is no charge for this event, which is made possible by the voters of Sonoma County who fund the work of Ag + Open Space with a quarter-cent sales tax.
Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Location: 6303 Highway 12, Sebastopol, CA
Free. Pre-registration required here.
| | SEBASTOPOL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL | |
The 2023 Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival is almost here. The live festival dates (March 16-19, 2023) will be followed by a virtual event (March 20-29, 2023). Tickets and passes are on sale now.
Visit www.sebastopolfilmfestival.org for more information.
| | LEARN ABOUT THE LAGUNA DE SANTA ROSA TRAILS IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH! | ¡Aprenda de los senderos de la Laguna de Santa Rosa en Español e Inglés! | |
Date: Saturday, March 25, 2023
Time: 11:30am - 1:30pm
Location: Laguna de Santa Rosa Trail 6303 Highway 12 Santa Rosa, CA 95472
FREE
Register HERE
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Join us for a nature walk with learning and fun for the whole family. On this special Saturday we will explore the Laguna de Santa Rosa trail, enjoy the beautiful open space, and look for signs of nesting birds and other delights of the season. Come learn about the Laguna, its important role in holding stormwater, and how to identify some of the plants in the waterway. Our Environmental Educator, Carlos Barragan, will have fun activities for all ages.
There is no charge for this outing, which is made possible by the voters of Sonoma County who fund the work of Ag + Open Space with a quarter-cent sales tax.
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Acompáñenos en una caminata dentro de los senderos al lado de la Laguna de Santa Rosa. Este sábado especial, exploramos los animales y las plantas de la Laguna de Santa Rosa, disfrutaremos del hermoso espacio abierto y buscaremos señales de aves y otros animales de la temporada. Venga a aprender sobre la Laguna, su importancia en la retención de aguas pluviales, y aprenda a identificar algunas de las plantas asociadas con esta área del condado. Nuestro Especialista de campo, Carlos Barragan, le encanta enseñarle a la comunidad de la Laguna usando actividades divertidas para todas las edades.
No hay cargo por esta salida, que es posible gracias a los votantes del condado de Sonoma que financian el trabajo de Ag + Open Space con un impuesto sobre las ventas de un cuarto de centavo.
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