Committees, commissions and boards, oh my!

The Sonoma City Council members have a lot on their plates. They oversee all municipal operations and provide policy leadership, working with staff and the community on a variety of issues – all of this on top of their day jobs.
What some locals might not know is that those Wednesday city council meetings aren’t the only ones they’re attending. The City Council has the power to appoint people to a staggering array of different commissions and committees. In these roles, they represent the city, not their personal interests. Some groups meet monthly, others rarely or just once a year.
“It helps branching out and getting to know the county players and getting to know more intimately other cities in the county and their issues,” said Councilmember August Sebastiani. “Being as geographically remote as we are, it’s nice discipline to get in the car and go to Santa Rosa once a month.”
In addition to these seats, Councilmember Joanne Sanders sits on the Golden Gate Bridge District board, representing the Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers Association. Each of the cities votes on the candidates, then the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors makes the appointment. Sanders ran against a Petaluma councilmember last year, and ran unopposed this year. The district has a budget of about $150 million a year. Sanders said it is one of the most sought-after appointments and rarely goes to a city off the 101 corridor.
“The job of a City Council member is to be well-rounded and to be knowledgeable about many issues,” said Councilmember Laurie Gallian, who is alternate for various commissions as she gets up to speed. “As a new councilmember, I’m definitely out there for ideas.”
Here are the current committee assignments, not including alternate positions:
Aug Sebastiani: Association of Bay Area Governments, General Assembly; City Audit Committee; Sonoma County Transportation Authority, Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Committee, Sonoma Valley Economic Development Partnership Advisory Committee, Valley of the Moon Water District / City of Sonoma Ad Hoc Committee
Laurie Gallian: League of California Cities Northbay Division Liaison, Sonoma County Community Climate Action Plan, Water Advisory Committee, City Audit Committee
Steve Barbose: City Facilities Committee, Northbay Watershed Association Board of Directors, Sonoma County Waste Management Agency, Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue Authority JPA Working Group, Valley of the Moon Water District / City of Sonoma Ad Hoc Committee
Ken Brown: CDA Loan Subcommittee, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District Board of Directors, Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue Authority JPA Working Group, Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition
Joanne Sanders: Sonoma County Mayor and Councilmembers Association Legislative Committee, Sonoma Valley Library Advisory Committee, CDA Loan Subcommittee
In a few cases, the council appointed a local citizen as its representative:
Will Pier: AB 939 Local Task Force
Stanley Cohen: Sonoma County Health Action Council
The current mayor is always the point person for these groups: Sonoma Housing Corporation, Sonoma Disaster Council (also includes Mayor Pro Tem), Sonoma County Mayor and Councilmembers Association Board of Directors and the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District Board of Directors.