Santa Rosa Community Advisory Board Members Resigned After I Spoke at One Meeting
CAB Member Steve Rahmn, Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore's cousin, stated 'Adina Flores is single handedly dismantling our city' in resignation letter
On July 24, 2024, for the first time, I attended and provided public comment at the City of Santa Rosa’s Community Advisory Board Meeting. I expressed concerns regarding several agenda items.
Ms. Lisa Kranz applied for a mini grant for her organization, Friends of Prince Memorial Greenway. I could not find a legal filing for this organization with the California Secretary of State, Office of the Attorney General Charity Registry nor the Internal Revenue Service.
Staff and the Board adamently expressed that they were not aware Ms. Kranz was actively employed with the City and encouraged applicants without a Tax ID to apply.
The grant application form states:
“Nonprofits, neighborhood groups and/or associations, homeowner associations, service clubs, community groups and /or organizations, and schools may apply to fund a project in Santa Rosa. However, applicants do not have to have an established organization to apply for the funds. Any large or small group of neighbors or community members who want to improve where they live can apply for these grants. The funds may be used to improve a street, block, neighborhood, or community.”
As a former government employee, the Executive Assistant to the Board & Superintendent of Santa Rosa City Schools, I found these stipulations odd. I have never heard of disbursing taxpayer monies to organizations without a Tax ID.
The City of Santa Rosa has previously offered Measure H - CHOICE Mini Grant Funding. The maximum allowable Mini-Grant award is $5,000. This echoes the grants being offered by CAB (maximum $2,500).
The CHOICE mini grant required awarded grantees to supply a W-9 Form and authorized signatures within ten business days.
Ms. Kranz was also actively employed as the Senior Planner for the City of Santa Rosa. I commented that I did not find it appropriate to allocate community grants to current City employees, nor grants to any organizations which cannot supply a W-9 to verify a Tax ID.
After my comments were made, Ms. Kranz modified her LinkedIn profile to reflect that she resigned from the City in July 2024.
Concerns are present regarding biased voting within the Board.
Board Chair Calum Weeks currently serves on the Board for the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition.
Mr. Week’s fellow CAB Member Cherie Barnett is a paid employee for the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. She is in charge of Outreach & Events.
The City of Santa Rosa’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is a five-year financial plan for the maintenance and expansion of the public infrastructure (e.g. City facilities, buildings, parks, streets, etc.). The CIP identifies public infrastructure improvements that are needed, provides a design and construction schedule, and identifies funding for these projects.
The City Council, through the City Charter and associated Resolutions, assigned the CAB the role of obtaining public feedback on CIP priorities. Through meetings and community events, the CAB encourages Santa Rosa residents the vote on their top five (5) infrastructure project priorities for the upcoming year. This feedback is presented to the City Council during the City’s budget season.
Boards are responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organization while the staff is charged with carrying out the day-to-day operations. How can Mr. Weeks and Ms. Barnett remain unbiased through their discussion and votes?
As of March 27, 2024, Mr. Weeks and Ms. Barnett failed to abstain from the discussion regarding The Santa Rosa Transportation and Public Works Department update to the 2018 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, to be renamed the Active Transportation Plan. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board will be the guiding advisory body for the Active Transportation Plan. It is anticipated that the Plan will be adopted by the City Council in the Spring of 2025.
On April 24, 2024, Ms. Ana Horta, Community Engagement Manager, provided information regarding the following events and answered Member questions:
April 20, 2024, Launch of the City's Active Transportation Plan
May 16, 2024, Bike to Work Day
May 16, 2024, Bike-in Block Party
The Block Party / Work Day were components of Phase 1 of public engagement for the City of Santa Rosa Active Transportation Plan
On May 7, 2024, Councilmember Chris Rogers (Board Member for SMART, SCTA, Sonoma Clean Power, Regional Climate Protection Authority Board, etc.) read and presented the May 2024 Bike to Work Month & Day proclamation to Erin Weaver, Executive Director, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition.
Per CAB's minutes from May 22, 2024:
'Chair Weeks made comments regarding the success of Bike to Work Day and the Rose Parade in Santa Rosa.'
'Ana Horta, Community Engagement Manager, made comments regarding the success of Bike to Work Day and the Rose Parade.'
It appears that Mr. Weeks & Ms. Barnett are only serving on the CAB in order to influence the budget priorities within the City of Santa Rosa's CIP relating to transportation & housing. They are working directly with staff member Ana Horta on paid projects such as 'Bike to Work Day'. Per Ms. Barnett's LinkedIn summary, 'Bike to Work Day' is a major part of her job description.
Yesterday, August 28, 2024, the CAB Meeting was cancelled due to a lack of quorum. As referenced per responsive records received from the City of Santa Rosa, four Board Members have recently resigned following my inquiries and comments.
Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore’s cousin, Mr. Steve Rahmn sent the following resignation letter to the City of Santa Rosa on July 29, 2024:
Anna and Lon,
Thanks for taking my call today. Please accept this email as my resignation to the Community Advisory Board. Adina Flores is single handedly dismantling our city. Being a part of the City of Santa Rosa has been rewarding and educational and I truly appreciate being of CAB. I will continue to support the city and their goals and participate as a volunteer.
Please let me know if you need anything.
Lon, I am sorry to share this with you through email and I hope you and I can get together for some closure.
Thank you
Steve Rahmn
Santa Rosa-NAACP President Kirstyne Lange emailed the following resignation to the City on August 1, 2024:
Hi Ana,
Effective today, I am officially resigning from the Santa Rosa City Community Advisory Board.
I have enjoyed my years of service and I hope you can please extend my well wishes to my colleagues and the City team.
Best,
Kirstyne
A third individual who resigned was named as Amy Holter, Vice President for Community Impact, Community Foundation Sonoma County:
On August 12, 2024, Ms. Holter sent Ms. Horta the following resignation letter:
Good evening Ana,
I am writing to share my resignation from Santa Rosa’s Community Advisory Board. Thank you so much for all that you do to support CAB, and please reach out if there is anything I can do to further CAB’s goals in the future.
Kindly,
Amy Holter
On August 13, 2024, Ms. Ana Horta, Community Engagement Manager, City of Santa Rosa emailed City Manager Maraskeshia Smith to inform her that four CAB Members have formally resigned.
Subject Line - Another CAB Resignation
Good morning Maraskeshia and Jaime,
I want to let you know that we have another CAB resignation, bring the total number of resignations to 4. Please let me know if we need to work on a plan in case the media contact us. Also, our total number of filled seats is 9; should we let councilmembers know that we are in need of new members? Thank you!
-Ana Horta
If my voice does not matter, and I am spreading ‘misinformation’, how come nobody in Sonoma County has been able to genuinely speak to my inquiries for the past three years? Why does the City of Santa Rosa fear truth, integrity and justice?
“They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth.”
-Amos 5:10