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Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council
County Of Sonoma › Administrative Support & Fiscal Services › Board of Supervisors › Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council Meeting May 9 2024
Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council

Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council Meeting

Date: May 09, 2024

Time: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Hybrid Meeting:

Guerneville School Community Room
14630 Armstrong Woods Road
Guerneville, CA 95466

Zoom Link

Registration Required: No

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* Please note: reports and documents will be uploaded no later than 72 hours prior to the meeting.

  1. Call to Order

    1. Pledge of Allegiance

    2. Roll Call

  2. Approval of Agenda

    This approval process ensures that the agenda accurately reflects the items to be discussed and decided upon. Members may request adjustments to the agenda, including reordering or deletion of items at this time. Any changes must comply with the Brown Act requirements for public notice and agenda setting. The agenda must be finalized before the Council proceeds with other meeting items.

  3. Statement of Conflict of Interest

    This is the time for the Chair, Vice Chair and Council Members to indicate any statements of conflict of interest for any item listed on this agenda. The River MAC bylaws state that members will not involve themselves in official River MAC activities that could materially benefit them personally, their business interests, or the interests of organizations that they represent. In a conflict of interest, the member will abstain from voting, and the abstention will be recorded in the minutes.

  4. Consent Agenda

    These items are expected to be routine and non-controversial. The Lower Russian River MAC will act upon them at one time without discussion. Any Representatives, staff member or interested party may request that an item be removed from the consent agenda for discussion.

    1. April 11 Minutes

    2. Bylaws update: the attached revised bylaws reflect a change to clarify that service as an alternate on the River MAC do not count towards the term limits.

  5. Councilmember comment on matters not listed on the agenda 

    Comments are restricted to matters within the Board’s jurisdiction. Please be brief and limit spoken comments to one minute. Due to Brown Act regulations, this is not a time for discussion of any item, however a brief dialogue about considering an item for a future agenda is permitted during this time.

  6. Public Comments

    On Matters not listed on the agenda: Comments are restricted to matters within the Lower Russian River MAC’s jurisdiction. Please be brief and limit spoken comments to two minutes.

  7. County Update from Supervisor Lynda Hopkins / Staff 

  8. Transient Occupancy Tax Ordinance Amendment 

    A first reading of proposed revisions to the Transient Occupancy Tax Ordinance will be heard by the Board of Supervisors at their July 9th meeting. Administrative Analyst McCall Miller will provide an overview, answer questions, and receive feedback from the Municipal Advisory Council and public. This item was previously heard by the BOS 11/28/23. Materials can be found here. Videos here and here.

    The County’s Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Ordinance, codified in Sonoma County Code Chapter 12, requires all Operators within the unincorporated County to collect and remit TOT on the total amount of rent paid for occupancy in any lodging. The current TOT rate is 12%, including the 3% approved in 2016 with Measure L.

    The proposed ordinance amendment will update definitions in Section 12-10. Proposed updates include explicitly defining an online marketplace as an “Operator” to obligate them to collect and remit TOT. An online marketplace is defined as, without limitation, any online travel company (OTC), online vacation rental site or marketplace or internet-based platform that directly or indirectly facilitates the rental or booking of lodging (collectively, Online Travel Companies or “OTCs”). The amendment will also update the definition of rent to provide a non-exhaustive list of charges and fees charged by an Operator that are subject to TOT, which includes any service or facilitation fee charged by an OTC for use of their platform for booking occupancy. It also adds the term “short- term rental.”

    This ordinance amendment will not increase the rate of TOT and is not a new tax on residents or on visitors to Sonoma County. Due to the evolution of OTCs, which were not in existence when the original TOT Ordinance was adopted, these proposed changes will ensure that TOT is applied

    evenly across all Operators and Lodging within the unincorporated County.

    Because this ordinance amendment seeks expansion of definitions under the current Ordinance, voter approval is required. If the ordinance is adopted and submitted to the voters, the ordinance amendment requires a majority vote (50%) to pass

  9. Committee & Community Project Reports 

    Written reports are included for review. Committee chair or delegate may briefly highlight parts of the update, respond to councilmember questions, and receive public comment.

    1. Land Use Standing Committee - no report

    2. Community Engagement and Outreach Ad Hoc - 2024 Community Engagement Plan adoption (attached)

    3. Guerneville Plaza Infrastructure Recommendations Ad Hoc - Proposed survey adoption (attached), discussion regarding interim improvements

    4. Community Stewardship Project - report attached

  10. Adjournment

Open Meetings: Except as expressly authorized under the Ralph M. Brown Act (the State’s local agency open meeting law), all meetings of the River Municipal Advisory Council are open to attendance by interested members of the public.

Agenda Comments: The Chair will invite public comment for agenda items as they are taken up by the Committee. If you wish to speak, you may do so upon receiving recognition by the Chair. Please state your name and limit your comments to the agenda item under discussion. Speakers are limited to three minutes each; available time for comments is determined by the Committee Chair based on agenda scheduling demand and total number of speakers.

Public Comments on Items not on the Agenda: Any member of the public may address the Committee on a matter not listed on the agenda as long as the subject matter is within the jurisdiction of the Committee. If you wish to speak, you may do so upon recognition by the Committee Chair. While members of the public are welcome to address the Committee, under the Brown Act open meeting laws, Committee members may not deliberate or take action on items not on the agenda. Speakers are limited to two minutes each; available time for comments is determined by the Committee Chair based on agenda scheduling demands and total number of speakers.

Documents related to open session agendas: Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council regarding any item on this agenda after the posting of this agenda and not otherwise exempt from disclosure will be made available for public review at 575 Administration Drive, Room 100-A, Santa Rosa, CA, during normal business hours.

Disabled Accommodation: If you have a disability and require a sign language interpreter, assistive listening device, material in an alternate format, or other accommodation to attend, please contact District5@sonoma-county.org or 1-707-565-2241 at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in order to facilitate arrangements for accommodation.