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City of Sebastopol
Community Newsletter
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February 2 Edition of
Sebastopol Community Newsletter
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With continued rain in the forecast and the possibility of flooding, 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.
| | PATTIE MURPHY NAMED SEBASTOPOL FIRE DEPARTMENT'S 2023 FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR |
 | | Senior Administrative Assistant Pattie Murphy was selected as the 2023 firefighter of the year for her outstanding contributions in supporting the organizations. While Pattie works halftime in her position in the fire department, she has consistently gone above and beyond in supporting the volunteer firefighters of the department. Pattie is always available to the volunteers, addressing issues, helping them take care of problems. She is always stepping up and performs logistical support for training, public relations events, and other fire department functions whether at night or on weekends. She has proven to always be there and to be the “right hand person” always taking the initiative to make things happen. Pattie goes above and beyond in her commitment in carrying out one of the core values of the department, that of, – “How can I help the organization be successful”. Pattie’s long-time contributions and support in dealing with the many activities that take place in the department made her the perfect choice for the Sebastopol Fire Department 2023 Firefighter of the year.
| | WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE TREES IN THE PLAZA? | | |
You may have noticed that something is going on with the trees in the downtown plaza. Evergreen Pears trees were recommended for the plaza when originally planted some years ago. Unfortunately, they have proven to be highly susceptible to mistletoe infestation, especially in environments that receive a lot of use like our plaza. This has been an ongoing issue for several years, and our city arborists have been consulted on the best way to address the issue to extend the health and life of the trees.
One strategy has been to remove as many of the infested branches as possible without compromising the structure of the trees and to then wrap sprout sites with 10mil tape. As you can see in the photo below, significant portions of some of these trees have become covered in tape over the years.
The second photo shows a tree that was drastically cut back due to a severe mistletoe infestation and is scheduled to be replaced as time allows with a Ginkgo tree. Per a previous arborist’s recommendation, Public Works staff have been selectively removing the most diseased trees and implementing the Ginkgo trees as a replacement strategy. As budget allows within the next few years, the current remaining Evergreen Pear trees will be replaced entirely with Ginkgo trees that are more resistant to mistletoe.
Why replant with Ginkgos rather than a native species? The city has primarily planted natives in their natural settings—open spaces where they can flourish. As lovely as our plaza is, it is not a natural setting. It is an urban environment surrounded by concrete and asphalt. Many arborists believe the Ginkgo to be one of the best urban tree species for our region as it has seemingly no pest or pathogen issues, resists urban pollutants, puts up with tough planting locations and turns a vibrant golden yellow in the fall.
| | NEW WATER METERS AND APP OFFER CUSTOMERS ENHANCED INSIGHTS INTO THEIR WATER USAGE | |
With the installation of new cellular water meters in Sebastopol, municipal water customers can now have instant access to, and greater control over, their water usage through the accompanying EyeOnWater app. They can also be alerted to leaks in real time.
Signup options:
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Sign up on the EyeOnWater signup page at: https://eyeonwater.com/signup
- Download to mobile devices via the Apple App Store for iPhones or Google Play for Androids
Detailed instructions for account setup on City’s website here.
| | SEBASTOPOL FIRE DEPARTMENT BLOOD DRIVE - FEBRUARY 13 | | TWO WAYS TO SAFELY DISPOSE OF MEDICINE | | |
Sebastopol Drop Off Locations:
Sebastopol Police Department
6850 Laguna Parkway
Sebastopol, CA, 95472
CVS Pharmacy 09872
6877 Sebastopol Ave
Sebastopol, CA, 95472
Lucky #777
776 Gravenstein Hwy N
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Safeway Inc.
406 North Main Street
Sebastopol, CA, 95472
Sebastopol Family Pharmacy, Inc.
652 Petaluma Ave Ste I1
Sebastopol, CA, 95472
| | RECYCLE YOUR OLD HOUSEHOLD BATTERIES IN BIN OUTSIDE CITY HALL | |
Household batteries including alkaline and rechargeable batteries cannot be landfilled in California because they contain acids and toxic metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel. Batteries can also be a fire risk so it's important to recycle them properly.
Deposit old batteries in the battery disposal bin at the Sebastopol Regional Library at 7140 Bodega Avenue.
NOTE: Drop-off all kinds of household batteries. Tape battery terminals. Sebastopol residents only. Drop box is outside library on path between city hall.
Visit https://zerowastesonoma.gov/materials/batteries-household for more information and to find other battery drop off locations.
| | WATER BILL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE | | |
Funding is now available for water bill assistance in Sebastopol through North Coast Energy Services. This local service provider offers residential water and sewer bill assistance to low-income households in Sebastopol through the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP).
Click HERE to apply for a one-time water/sewer financial assistance.
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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.gov
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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.gov
Next Regular City Council Meeting: City Council Meeting of February 6, 2024 @ 6:00 PM
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.gov
Next Meeting: Planning Commission Meeting of February 13, 2024 @ 6:00 PM
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.gov
Public Arts Committee Meetings:
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.gov
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