Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council Meeting

Agenda

1. Announcement from the Spanish Interpreter 
   The interpreter will provide instructions on how to access the Spanish language audio channel in Zoom or get a headset to listen to the Spanish interpretation in-person.
2.  Call to Order 
   1. Pledge of Allegiance
   2. Roll Call
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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. August 8, 2024 minutes
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. County Update from Supervisor Lynda Hopkins / Staff
9. Presentation from Katrina Braehmer, Supervising Planner and Claudette Diaz, Planner from Permit Sonoma regarding the 2020 Safety Element Update and the New Environmental Justice Element
   The County’s General Plan is the blueprint for land use, development, and public action in the unincorporated County. It provides policies for balancing change and preservation within our communities, fostering healthy communities, and protecting environmental resources. At a July 23, 2024 meeting, the Board of Supervisors held a workshop on the General Plan 2020 Safety Element Update and New Environmental Justice Element. The workshop presented the status of the update process, identified communities of focus for the elements, and included a discussion on policy approaches for prioritizing improvements in disadvantaged communities (known as Environmental Justice Communities) and how best to incorporate climate adaptation and resilience into the General Plan. The agenda materials for the Board of Supervisors workshop included Policy Frameworks that outline potential policy strategies to address hazard safety and environmental justice issues in Sonoma County. The Policy Frameworks were developed from community input obtained throughout the planning process thus far and are intended to facilitate the policy development process. The Board workshop agenda materials can be found hereand a video of the workshop can be found here.
   
   On September 12, 2024, Planning staff from Permit Sonoma will 1) present an overview of the requirements for the Safety and Environmental Justice Elements, and 2) seek input from the Lower Russian River MAC and members of the public on the Lower Russian River’s policy priorities and ideas to protect the public from hazards and prioritize the needs of environmentally-burdened and underresourced communities. Permit Sonoma staff will facilitate a discussion with MAC members and listen to comments from members of the public in attendance. The discussion will focus on 1) Emergency Preparedness, 2) Wildfire Resilient Landscapes, 3) Flooding Hazards, and 4) Healthy Environments (Pollution Burden). Feedback from the meeting will inform the draft Safety and Environmental Justice Elements, which will be released for a public review period prior to adoption. Staff will also provide information on next steps and how to continue to be involved.
   
   These two element updates will be completed in advance of a comprehensive General Plan update process, which has recently begun, in order to comply with State mandates. The Board of Supervisors will hear an update from Permit Sonoma staff on the status of the comprehensive General Plan update process at their October 15th meeting in advance of the General Plan 2020 Safety and Environmental Justice Elements going before the Board for adoption.
10. 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. Community Stewardship Project
11. Adjournment