City Council looks to preserve, enhance revenue

In these difficult economic times, the Sonoma City Council is searching, as are most enterprises, to preserve its principal revenue stream and perhaps even to enhance it.
The largest revenue stream for Sonoma, of course, is tourism, and toward that end the city council at its meeting this evening will be considering two measures intended to ensure a positive experience for tourists visiting Sonoma.
Both measures leverage the fact that Sonoma is becoming a brand name unto itself, and the city council is anxious to distinguish Sonoma and Sonoma Valley from neighboring Napa Valley. Therefore, the council will consider a proposal is to rename Napa Street and Napa Road in order to remove from Sonoma any mention of the word “Napa.” Sources close to the situation report that replacement names under consideration include Solar Street and Sunnyside Road, both of which are intended to reflect the council’s support for “green” projects,
Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce member Annie Piffany stressed how important such a subtle step can be. “It’s ludicrous,” she said, “to have two major streets in Sonoma continually reminding visitors that another wine-growing tourist haven is located right over the ridge. Short of tearing up sections of the outbound lanes through the Carneros region, this [name change] is the next best thing.”
The city council will also look at a recommendation from the Cultural and Fine Arts Commission to establish a dress code for joggers on the Plaza. The new law would be enforced on both sides of First Streets East and West opposite the Plaza and both sides of Spain Street and the former Napa Street. Dogs would be prohibited in that area, too.
Howard Downs, Deputy Assistant Director of the Sonoma Chapter of the Constituent Outreach Office for California State Assemblyman Jared Huffman, commented that, “The Plaza is this town’s crown jewel, and you need to keep it polished and attractive.”
Apparently the added jiggle of certain joggers constraining Lassies on leashes may so diminish the tourist experience for visitors enjoying the shops and eateries around the Plaza that the city council will debate the merits of the dress code.
This and all other meetings of the Sonoma City Council will be carried live gavel to gavel on SVTV Comcast Channel 27 beginning at 6 p.m.