In other actions July 2, the Sonoma City Council:
• Requested $400,000 in special funds from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to meet the $1.8 million cost of putting Broadway’s utility lines underground between Malet and West MacArthur streets. The project was approved in 2002, but costs have exceeded the city’s annual $75,000 “Rule 20A” allocations from PG&E – money designated by the company specifically for utility undergrounding along major public roads, and which can only be augmented by other Rule 20A funds such as Sonoma County’s – and the city must either come up with the cash before PG&E’s July 15 deadline or wait until next June. County supervisors were slated to take up the issue at their July 8 meeting, but no decision had been made by press time. As Mayor Joanne Sanders owns property within the project area, she recused herself from the discussion and the request was approved by a 4–0 vote.
• Adopted two election-related items: one giving notice of November’s City Council election and asking for county supervisors to consolidate same with the statewide election, the other concerning candidates’ statements for the voter information pamphlet. The latter restricts the statements to 200 words – as it is in the rest of Sonoma County – and would charge office-seekers $185 for an English statement and $470 for English and Spanish. Councilmembers serve for staggered four-year terms, and with Councilmember Stanley Cohen’s May announcement that he would not seek re-election, the only incumbent is expected to be Mayor Joanne Sanders. Nominations for a council seat open Monday and run through August 13.
• Awarded to Clovis-based Elite Landscaping, Inc., a $104,105 contract for improving the grounds around the Sonoma Police Station and Community Meeting Room. Elite was the lowest of six bidders, and the work is expected to begin in mid-July and see completion by the end of September.
• Selection of the M-Group consulting firm to prepare an updated Housing Element for the city’s General Plan. The state-mandated element, which documents the city’s compliance with affordable housing needs, will cost $61,520 of the budgeted $100,000 and is slated for completion in June 2009.
