Council ‘untables’ annexation but postpones discussion

Following a 20-minute discussion about their intended procedure, the Sonoma City Council Wednesday night agreed to talk about annexing the Springs but deferred the actual conversation to a future meeting.
The council approved 4-1 a motion by Councilmember Steve Barbose to overturn an earlier council decision tabling the matter but to postpone any annexation discussion until after newly appointed Councilmember Laurie Gallian takes her seat in December. No date for the discussion was set Wednesday night.
Councilmember Stanley Cohen, who had placed the item on Wednesday’s agenda but favored an immediate discussion, cast the lone “no” vote. He subsequently explained that he didn’t want to leave office without resolving the issue.
Expanding Sonoma’s boundaries into the Springs – as the Agua Caliente, El Verano, Boyes Hot Springs and neighboring communities are called – has been an occasional topic of public conversation in Sonoma Valley since at least the 1970s. The council last addressed the issue at its Feb. 20 meeting, where a lengthy discussion drew mixed comments before being tabled on a 5-0 council vote, due partly to a desire not to affect Sonoma County’s then-ongoing process of amending the Springs redevelopment area.
In her report to the council, City Manager Linda Kelly explained that she and Cohen had met Oct. 6 to discuss the issue with county administration officials, who said that providing services to the area would likely cost more than any revenue it would bring in – and that the county might resist such a move due to its recent approval of $120 million for sidewalks, lights, a bike lane and underground utilities between Agua Caliente Road and Encinas Lane. Work recently began on the project’s first phase, which is expected to be complete by spring 2009.
After Cohen moved to “untable” the item, which Barbose seconded, Councilmember Aug Sebastiani said he favored the motion but was hesitant to enter into a discussion since a new council would be convening Dec. 3.
As the issue never reached the discussion stage, no public comment was taken – much to the good-natured chagrin of one first-time audience member who had initially tried to voice his annexation opinion during the beginning of the meeting, and who politely declined Mayor Joanne Sanders’ offer of a five-minute recess to explain council procedures.