City Council Meeting - January 11

The Cloverdale City Council will hold a regularly scheduled meeting:

Wednesday, January 11 at 6:00 pm

The Council meeting will be held at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center. A zoom link is available on the agenda for virtual attendance and participation.

Major items on the City Council agenda include:

Authorizing Remote Teleconference Meetings of the City in Compliance with Assembly Bill 361
Appointment to the North Council seat on the Sonoma County Continuum of Care Board
Appointment of Ms. Carol Pigoni-Giovanatto as the City of Cloverdale’s Representative on the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District Board of Trustees.
Professional Services Agreement with West Yost & Associates, Inc. to prepare a water system hydraulic evaluation for replacement of the Southcrest Reservoir
Resolution Ratifying the Director of Emergency Services’ Proclamation Declaring the Existence of a Local Emergency
Review and discussion of Updated City Council 2023 Subcommittee, Joint Committee and Regional Board/Committee Appointments

To participate in the meeting or comment on an item virtually via Zoom, copy and paste the following link in your web browser:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88648416804?wd=QjFHTkt1TGIwMVN4V1lQR0FLRmw1UT09
Meeting ID: 886 4841 6804
Passcode: 551890
Dial 1-(669) 900-6833 and enter the meeting ID.

2023 January Storm Update

The Bay Area witnessed one of the largest storm events this last week since the severe storm/flood events in February 2019. This week's storm event has contributed much needed precipitation to address the impacts of the on-going drought (see National Weather Service graphic below). While Sonoma County is getting a break from the wet weather Friday (today), additional storms are forecast for Sonoma County over the weekend and coming week ahead.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the next storm is expected to hit Sonoma County on Friday evening, bringing up to 3-4 inches of rain through Sunday. An additional storm on Monday, January 9th is expected to bring an additional 3-4 inches of rain. The storms are expected to bring high winds with gusts of 40-50 mph (see NWS wind warning graphic below). The Russian River is forecast to exceed flood stage in Guerneville on Sunday, January 8th.

A number of actions have been taken by the City and County in response to the ongoing storm event:

On January 5th, Cloverdale City Manager executed a proclamation declaring a local disaster due to the ongoing storm event.
Governor’s Office has issued an emergency proclamation, non-specific to any county in response to the winter storms.
The Sonoma County Operational Area Emergency Operations Center has been activated as of 0800 hrs.
Sonoma County Emergency Services Director has proclaimed a local emergency due to this incident.
An evacuation warning has been issued by the Sonoma County Sherriff's Office for the Russian River between Healdsburg and Jenner.
An evacuation center has been opened at the County Fairgrounds in the E.C. Kraft building, pet shelter available as well.

For More information about how to prepare for the storm events, please visit: News Flash • City of Cloverdale • CivicEngage

City Weathers Storm, braces for more

City staff continue to monitor weather forecasts, and the projected levels of the Russian River. Public Works and Parks crews worked overtime preparing and responding to this week's storm. Generally, staff responded promptly to localized flooding by clearing storm drains and placing signage where necessary.

Public Works staff is on standby and ready to respond to downed trees in the public right of way and/or City Parks and clogged storm drains.

Sand Bags Available

The City of Cloverdale’s sandbag station remains available at Cloverdale City Park. Sand and empty bags will be provided, however we recommended you bring: a shovel to fill bags, gloves to protect your hands, a helper to assist in filling. Staff will monitor the sand bag station and replenish sand as needed.

For flooding, downed trees that are not blocking a roadway, or power outages, please call the City’s 24/7/365 non-Emergency at (707) 894-2150.
For emergencies that pose a threat to life and/or property, such as a downed power line, or downed trees blocking a roadway, always dial 9-1-1.

Chief Ferguson Explains Citizens' Arrest Procedure

Over the past several months, residents have asked questions or posted comments on social media about why an officer did or did not arrest a subject for a perceived crime. Typically, these inquiries and comments are related to misdemeanor crimes and incidents involving homeless individuals yelling at traffic or disturbing the peace. The following information is provided to help address these queries.

California and most other states have enacted statutes prohibiting officers from making arrests for misdemeanors and infractions that were not committed in the officers’ presence. Except for a few specific crimes, in California, the only people who can make misdemeanor arrests are civilians who witness the crimes or who are victims.

In some cases, social media posts have included examples of a homeless individual chasing or following person(s) to their vehicle. Under this circumstance, the arriving officer cannot place the individual under arrest because they did not witness the incident. Thus, it would require the reporting citizen to agree to and complete a citizen’s arrest.

ARREST PROCEDURE: If a citizen has a legal right to arrest a person and elects to do so, there is a procedure that officers must follow. This procedure is divided into four parts:

taking the arrestee into custody
arrest formalities, which include collecting a signed citizen’s arrest form
disposition of the arrestee
searching the arrestee.

ARREST FORMALITIES: Although no “magic words” must be recited, officers will ensure that the following formalities are observed. YOU’RE UNDER ARREST: The suspect must be notified that they are under arrest. Although the citizen usually does this, they may also delegate this duty to officers so long as they understand that, under the law, they are the person making the arrest—that he/she is simply delegating to officers their authority to do so. IDENTIFY THE CRIME: If the suspect says they want to know the specific offense for which they are being arrested, the citizen or officer must tell them.

DISPOSITION OF THE ARRESTEE: Although officers must initially take custody of the suspect, they may ordinarily exercise discretion in determining what should be done with them. Specifically, they will usually have the following options.

Transport to jail. Officers may use discretion and not transport them to jail if they determine “there is not a reasonable likelihood that the offense will continue or resume or that the release of the person arrested would imminently endanger the safety of persons or property.”
Cite and Release.

For more information on citizen arrest procedures, contact the police department at 707-894-2150.

Parks Update

A significant amount of time was spent by Parks staff this week in response to the series of major storm events over the last week. Parks staff responded to a downed Oak tree at City Park that damaged the Scout's Cabin. Parks staff took all necessary action to prepare for and strategize the best possible way to manage the impact of the storm events on local parks and facilities. All chainsaws, pole saws as well as other equipment was rehabilitated. Parks staff cleared all Park drains to aid the large volume flow of water which would ultimately minimize erosion.

Update on Plaza Restroom Project

The Plaza restroom construction project continues to make progress. This week the main focus was to prepare the site to re-pave the concrete areas that were removed in order to facilitate the installation of the utilities. The concrete installation is scheduled for the near future when we get favorable weather conditions.

Fuels Crew to Conduct Prescribed Burn at Porterfield Creek Open Space on Tuesday January 17, 2023

In collaboration with Cloverdale Fire Protection District, the Sonoma County Fuels Crew is planning to conduct prescribed pile burns at Porterfield Creek Open Space on Tuesday, January 17. Woody material from Phase 3 of the ongoing vegetation management project were thinned and piled by the Fuels Crew’ staff over the last several months. The prescribed burn will begin on the morning of the 17th and continue throughout the day. Fire agencies will provide fire apparatus and crews to manage the burning process.

Porterfield Creek Trails will remain open, and park users may see or smell smoke in the area during the burn. Some areas of the Open Space including the 3 bridges Trail are expected to be temporarily closed for public safety. Those areas that are closed will be posted with closure signs.

The upcoming prescribed pile burning at Porterfield Open Space is a continuation of fuels reduction work that began earlier this year with the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District’s Fuels Crew thinning vegetation along the main trail that runs through the park. Thinning vegetation coupled with prescribed burning reduces surface and ladder fuels to help protect the Park’s natural resources including native trees and adjacent communities from future wildfire severity.

2023 Sonoma County Homeless Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Registration

Now Open- January 27^th!

Friday, January 27, 2023, is the Sonoma County Point-in-Time (PIT) Street Count for all populations of persons experiencing homelessness. The Count is required to receive federal homeless assistance funds and provides critical data to understand homelessness locally and to support strategic decisions about our program. We hope that you can help by participating this year!

This year, we will resume regional deployment sites. We will have five regional deployment sites located in North County, West County, Sonoma Valley, Petaluma, and Santa Rosa; locations will be announced at a later date.

Registration

For more information and to register for the count, please use the following link: https://asr.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8Ica9S7b3cMsb8W

Things you’ll need for the count

A charged smartphone
A vehicle
The knowledge you’re doing important work!

Volunteers will be asked to work in teams and drive all assigned routes from approximately 5:00 am to 10:00 am on the morning of Friday, January 27th, 2023.

Questions?

Please send any questions related to the Homeless Count to Karissa White, Continuum of Care Coordinator, at Karissa.White@sonoma-county.org or by telephone at 707-565-1884.

For technical questions on how to sign up, please contact alex@appliedsurveyresearch.org or call 877-728-4545.

Thank you for your interest in the 2023 Sonoma County Homeless Point-in-Time Count!

Interested in accessing Homeless PIT Count Reports from previous years? Visit the following website: https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/development-services/community-development-commission/divisions/homeless-services/what-we-know-about-homelessness/homeless-count

Water Supply Update - Drought is Still Here. Save Water!

The drought is still here. Water supply levels at Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma remain at historic lows. Water is a resource that our community shares, and it is critical that we all continue to protect and conserve this valuable resource. The City of Cloverdale and its partners in the Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership (SMSWP) urge our community to keep up the great work and effort – water saved now, is water we can use later. For water saving tips and programs you can take advantage of to conserve water and save money, visit SavingWaterPartnership.org.

Sonoma County continues to experience drought conditions Sonoma County is designated as being in Severe Drought by the U.S Drought Monitor. Read about drought condition in Sonoma County.
Visit the California Water Watch website and enter your address to see how much rainfall your local area has received to date.
View Current Water Supply Levels for Lake Pillsbury, Lake Mendocino, and Lake Sonoma Here
Conservation requirements are still in place in the City of Cloverdale. Residents are encouraged to continue using water wisely and eliminate water wasting activities. Learn more water saving tips at savingwaterpartnership.org
The statewide Save Our Water conservation campaign at SaveOurWater.com also provides simple ways to reduce water use in their everyday lives.
The water reservoir storage level in Lake Mendocino is currently 96.4% of the Target Water Supply Curve (see graphic below).
- Current water supply conditions as of 1/06/2023:
  Current Storage: 60,834 acre-feet (96.4% of Target Water Supply Curve)

Meeting Notices and Schedule:

Subcommittee Meeting Schedules:

Finance, Administration & Police - Next Meeting: January 2, 2023 (cancelled)
Planning & Sustainability - Next Meeting: TBD
Public Works & Facilities - Next Meeting: January 16, 2023 (subject to change)
Joint City/Cloverdale Unified School District - Next Meeting: TBD
Homelessness Community Advisory Group - Next Meeting: January 10, 2023

Regional Board Meetings:

Sonoma Clean Power - January 5, 2023
RCPA/SCTA Board of Directors Meeting - February 6, 2023
Sonoma County Library Commission - January 4, 2023
Northern Sonoma County Air District Board Meeting - February 8, 2023

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