What’s your favorite Petaluma pizza place? Specifically, for takeaway (too hard to sit with our toddler in restaurants)

Has anyone tried the screen x showings? Wondering if it's worth it or not?

I run a small in-home daycare and my CPR and first aid certification is coming up for renewal. California requires EMSA compliant CPR and first aid for childcare providers and I want to make sure whatever I book actually satisfies that requirement.

Last time I drove to Santa Rosa for it but I'm hoping there's something in Petaluma now so I don't have to make that drive again. Anyone know of good options locally?

Would anyone just want to grab some group drinks (or non-drinks) this Thursday at Brewster? I’ll bring my dog and just hangout after work but I want to meet people here - new to the area, new to California.

Edit: 6-6:30pm at Brewsters! I’ll be at a table with a brown dog with pointy ears. I’m a short red head but Denji is much more recognizable.

Hi, my daughter and I will be moving to Petaluma this summer. She will be in eighth grade next year. I’d love to hear about people experiences at different schools in the area. We’re thinking about maybe trying to go to Live Oak or Orchard View in Sebastapol.

I've heard California is great with support for single moms. Can someone please elaborate or give some resources? TIA

Moving from Petaluma to South Bay soon. Can someone recommend some moving companies you had good experience with?

My daughter and I will be moving to Petaluma this summer. She is going into 8th grade. She’s been at a very small school up until now, so she’s been somewhat sheltered. Moving to a new town and starting at a new school can be challenging at this age so, I really want to find a school that feels like a good fit and hopefully won’t feel too different from her old school. Spring Hill seems like it might be a good option. Thank you!

I haven't tried the pho yet but the BBQ pork ban mi was really good!

We want to get our mailbox painted with some custom design. Does anyone know of any local artist that could possibly paint our mailbox!

AI-generated summary from voice-to-text transcript. Not the official record. Verify important details with the source documents found at the link below.

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https://petalumacivic.org/meetings/2771

This was a lengthy regular meeting featuring proclamations, presentations, a budget delivery, and several substantive agenda items. The session began with a closed session on labor negotiations and anticipated litigation (Vice Mayor DeCarli recused from the litigation item); the city attorney reported the Council authorized initiation of legal action if warranted.

Proclamations and Presentations

The Council issued three proclamations: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, Bike Month (May 2026), and National Peace Officers Memorial Day / Police Week. Representatives from the Historic Chinatown Park Committee accepted the AANHPI proclamation and offered remarks connecting historic exclusion of Chinese residents to present-day immigration fears, urging the city to go beyond symbolic recognition. Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Eris Weaver highlighted upcoming Bike Month events, including three Bike to Work Day energizer stations in Petaluma on May 14th. Police Chief Brian Miller accepted the police proclamation and recognized department award recipients.

Detective Alyssa Hanson was honored as the Sonoma County Exchange Club Peace Officer of the Year (the 78th such award), recognized for outstanding investigations including a major case involving juvenile victims that resulted in charges carrying a potential 50-year sentence. Certificates were also presented by representatives of Assemblymember Damon Connolly and Senator McGuire.

The FY 2026-27 Proposed Budget was formally delivered by Assistant Finance Director Cory Garbarino. The budget is available on the city website; a budget workshop is scheduled for May 11th, with first reading on May 18th and second/final reading on June 15th.

City Clerk Kaitlyn Corley and Assistant City Attorney Dylan Brady presented an overview of California Senate Bill 707, which updates the Brown Act to require eligible jurisdictions (population over 30,000) to offer both call-in and two-way remote (Zoom) public participation. Petaluma's first meeting with remote public comments will be July 6, 2026. The law also expands language access requirements (though Petaluma already provides translation via Wordly) and loosens teleconferencing rules for council members participating remotely.

General Public Comment

Ten speakers addressed the Council on non-agenda items:

Three speakers (including a letter read on behalf of Coach Ricky Chris, and appearances by Harlan Osborne and Frank Wright) urged the Council to name the East Washington community ball fields after longtime Argus-Courier sports editor John "JJ" Jackson, who passed away in 2023. City Manager Peggy Flynn subsequently announced staff would initiate the naming process through the Parks and Recreation Department.

Five speakers from the AANHPI community and the Petaluma Historic Chinatown Park Committee expressed gratitude for the proclamation and the 2025 renaming of Center Park, while urging continued action — including partnering with the AAPI Coalition North Bay to highlight local AAPI businesses and community members facing fear and uncertainty in the current national climate. A third-grade teacher and a member of the Sonoma County JACL also spoke.

Chantel Rogers raised concerns about a transit funding dispute between Petaluma and the Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Action (SCTCA) body, noting that Petaluma's attempt to withhold a ~$260,000 contributory payment for bus service caused other agencies (including Santa Rosa) to face budget shortfalls and delays. Council Member Cader Thompson responded that Petaluma intends to pay this year but wants a more equitable cost-sharing arrangement going forward, since other cities are not contributing.

Darren Kuzen (Planning Commissioner) raised concerns about Microsoft Teams chat communications during public hearings, asking whether backstage staff-to-member chats could affect meeting outcomes and whether a policy is needed.

Consent Calendar (Items 1–4, 6–8, excluding Item 5)

Passed unanimously (6-0; Barnacle/Cader Thompson motion/second). Items included:

Approval of April 20 meeting minutes

Acceptance of completion of the FY25/26 Pavement Preventative Maintenance Project (Dryco Construction, ~$890K) and release of retention

Acceptance of completion of the Hangar Door Replacement Project at Petaluma Municipal Airport (DMR Builders) and release of retention

Second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 2928 N.C.S. adding outdoor RV storage as a permitted accessory use in the Rancho Arroyo Business Park PCD zone

Second reading and adoption of an ordinance authorizing a PG&E utility easement for the Fire Station #1 project

Adoption of the Remote Access Technology Disruption Policy (required by SB 707 by July 1, 2026): if Zoom goes down during a meeting, IT staff have one hour to restore service; if unsuccessful, Council votes whether to continue; uniquely, Petaluma's policy also requires an email blast and website notice to the public during any outage

Vote: Unanimous (7-0)

Item 5: Landscape Assessment Districts (LADs) — Annual Levy and Engineer's Report

Council Member Shribbs pulled this item for public discussion. Senior Management Analyst Delena Bradford explained that after nearly 2,000 staff hours, the city found that LAD fees — unchanged for up to 30 years in most districts — are far below the cost of maintenance. A 50%+1 homeowner vote is required to raise fees under Prop. 218, and outreach to the 10 most financially distressed districts largely failed to achieve that threshold.

The solution: a one-time General Fund contribution of approximately $750,000 to pay off accumulated deficits across all districts, resetting them to a financial baseline. Going forward, districts will receive only the services their current assessments can fund (meaning reduced service levels in some areas). The city will launch an online petition system for any district that wants to pursue a Prop. 218 fee increase — districts that get 25% of households to sign on will receive city assistance through the process. Staff plans a fuller LAD update to Council on July 6th.

Shribbs urged public communication to residents about the reduced maintenance levels and the relatively small cost (~$100/household/year in some cases) to restore them.

Vote: Unanimous (7-0); moved by Shribbs, seconded by Nau

Item 9: 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report

Planning Manager Andrew Tripple and Community Development Director Brian O presented the annual report. Key figures:

652 building permits issued to date = 34.1% of the 6th-cycle RHNA requirement of 1,910 units; the city is 37% through the 8-cycle period, so tracking slightly behind but close

Strong progress on extremely low/very low and low income categories; lagging on moderate and above-moderate (market rate) units

2025 highlights: 333 units entitled; 230 building permits issued; 99 certificates of occupancy; 31 ADU permits issued (average 27/year, far exceeding the 16/year RHNA goal)

Notable approved projects: Sig Commons (180 units mixed income), Gallagher Senior Living (85 units), Cherry Street (9 lots), Creekwood Condominiums (59 units)

Housing Action Plan: approximately 76% complete; remaining gap largely tied to the pending Zoning Code Update

Discussion was substantive. Mayor McDonnell noted that only about 35–40% of the 98 certificates of occupancy issued this year were market-rate units, and the year-over-year trend in completions is declining despite strong policy work, highlighting market forces (high interest rates, construction costs) as the primary obstacle. Council Member Barnacle pointed to San Jose's success — zero market-rate multifamily starts in 2024, over 1,000 in 2025 — achieved largely through development impact fee reductions and relaxed inclusionary zoning requirements, and urged Petaluma to seriously examine both. Staff noted they are in dialogue with stalled project developers (Oyster Cove, Haystack, Creekwood) and are exploring incentive structures as part of the upcoming Zoning Code Reform.

Vote: Unanimous (7-0); moved by Nau, seconded by Quint

Item 10: Petaluma Fairgrounds Plan — Contract with David Baker Architects

Senior Planner Ellis Stevie and Director Oh presented a recommendation to award a contract to David Baker Architects (DBA) to prepare the Petaluma Fairgrounds Plan, funded entirely by a $1.19 million CDBG-Mitigation grant awarded in January 2025. The plan will include: (1) a comprehensive master plan for the fairgrounds campus; (2) a conceptual plan for a Community Resilience Center (~10,000 sq. ft.); and (3) an infrastructure layout. DBA's team includes CMG Landscape Architecture, Sherwood Design Engineers, Plan to Place, Civic Makers, Fare & Pierce, and Bay Area Economics. The contract value is up to ~$885,000 with an additional ~$300,000 to reimburse city staff time. The planning process targets completion by late 2027.

DBA Principal Chelsea Johnson emphasized their approach of "designing for resilience and cultural continuity," economic feasibility modeling to ground public engagement in trade-offs, and a commitment to inclusive outreach through three public workshops.

Public comment included a lengthy statement from Planning Commissioner Darren Kuzen raising concerns about a perceived predetermined outcome (particularly regarding housing) and urging transparency. Council members were united and explicit: no housing on the fairgrounds. Multiple members cited the Healthy Democracy guiding principles (which do not mention housing), noted that housing is not a permitted use under the fairgrounds overlay, and emphasized that any sale of city property would require Council action. Council Member Barnacle noted the housing element process deliberately excluded the fairgrounds as a housing site.

Council Member Shribbs raised concerns about the adequacy of 10,000 sq. ft. for a resilience center; Director Oh explained this was driven by the $10M construction cap in a related grant, but that the figure is not fixed. Council Members Quint and Cader Thompson both called for incorporating a senior center into the fairgrounds vision. Council Member Nau highlighted the work already underway at the fairgrounds by Rebuilding Together (mobile showers, job-training classrooms, clothing for unhoused residents). Mayor McDonnell raised the need to resolve the fate of the speedway/raceway early, calling it the single biggest design constraint on the site.

Vote: Unanimous (7-0); moved by Barnacle, seconded by Cader Thompson (Barnacle voted "aye, but no housing")

Item 11: On-Call Professional Planning Services — Three Firms

Director Oh presented a proposal to award as-needed, on-call planning contracts to Metropolitan Planning Group (M Group), 4Leaf, Inc., and Urban Planning Partners — a shift from the city's 17-year arrangement in which M Group served as the sole full-service planning department contractor (~$2.65–2.8M/year). Under the new model:

Two in-house positions will be hired (Planning Manager and Associate Planner) to form a "core" in-house planning division managed day-to-day by city staff

M Group retains a $300,000 one-time contract to complete existing special projects (General Plan, Zoning Code), plus $30,000/year for specialty subject matter expertise; cost-recovery development review work (~$1M/year) flows to all three firms on an as-needed basis

Overall budget: ~$2.26M/year — approximately a 15% reduction from prior levels

Public comment was heated: speaker Heather Kratt urged the Council to reject the resolution entirely, arguing it continues M Group's dominance, misrepresented M Group as having banned food trucks from the city, and called on newly elected members who campaigned on bringing planning in-house to honor that commitment. M Group Vice President Heather Hines thanked the city and pledged a warm handoff. Former M Group staffer and current Petaluma citizen Melissa Abercrombie expressed pride in her team's work and asked how many jobs the four new positions would replace. Speaker John Hania directly challenged Council Members Barnacle and Quint to follow through on their campaign promises.

Vice Mayor DeCarli and Council Member Nau expressed concern that the contract term (up to 5 years with extensions) was too long; DeCarli would have preferred a one-year contract. Council Member Cader Thompson defended the five-year term as providing flexibility and noted that every city uses contract planners. Council Member Barnacle pushed back firmly on characterizations of M Group as a bad actor, arguing that decision-making authority rests with Council, and defended the hybrid model as fiscally and technically sound.

Vote: 6-1 (DeCarli dissenting); moved by Cader Thompson, seconded by Barnacle

Key Takeaways

Fairgrounds planning begins: David Baker Architects was awarded a grant-funded contract to produce a master plan and Community Resilience Center concept for the fairgrounds; the full Council stated clearly that housing is not part of the vision.

LADs reset with $750K General Fund backstop: Decades-old landscape assessment district deficits will be cleared with a one-time general fund payment; some neighborhoods will see reduced landscaping maintenance unless residents vote to increase fees.

Housing production declining despite strong policy: Only 99 certificates of occupancy were issued in 2025 — well below prior years — with market forces (rates, construction costs) outpacing the city's regulatory streamlining efforts; Council members raised serious interest in impact fee reductions and inclusionary zoning reform to unlock stalled projects.

Planning department begins transition in-house: M Group's role is significantly reduced; two new city planner positions will be recruited, with three on-call consultant firms retained for overflow and special projects — though the pace of the transition drew dissent from Vice Mayor DeCarli.

Remote public comment returns July 6: SB 707 requires Petaluma to restore Zoom participation for Council meetings; a new technology disruption policy was adopted to manage outages; expansion to advisory bodies was discussed but not decided.

https://petalumacivic.org

Just got quoted $17k today for a new 3 ton AC unit (Lennox) plus a new slab for it and the coil for it on the furnace unit. No duct work at all. Also getting rid of the old unit.

Is this a bit crazy or is that normal these days?

I bought a new house with all that stuff like 15 years ago so this is my first replacement for such a thing.

I wanted to get a pride flag to hang on my porch and definitely want to buy locally and want to money to go towards something other than a corporation. Know any non-profits that sell locally?