Priorities and Issues in Petaluma

This next election is critical because our next City Council will finalize Petaluma’s blueprint for the next 20 years, our “General Plan.” It is paramount our City elevate consideration of water supply, traffic, infrastructure, and flood risk in decision making. Quantifiable science matters and quality of life, sustainable environmental policies, and economic and community strength must be top priority.

Our Water Supply: Plan and Prepare for More Drought

  1. Partner with regional government and nonprofits to ensure groundwater sustainability 

  2. Expand water catchment systems

  3. Expand purple pipes to deliver recycled water to our yards, gardens and businesses

  4. Ensure irrigation of trees for climate resilience

  5. Permit large vineyards only after adequate water supply verification

Safe Streets for Cars, Bikes, and Pedestrians

  1. Implement “Vision Zero’s” “Safe Streets for All” program including, workable and fully-tested bike lane installation and separate bike/ped paths and Safe Routes to School

  2. Reconfigure the Corona intersection to be safe for current residents and planned future development

  3. Move forward with needed Corona Overpass earthquake retrofit and expand the overpass to increase capacity and safety for all modes of transport

  4. Complete Eastside SMART station with appropriate housing development design that respects current neighborhood and traffic needs

  5. Fix and properly maintain City roads

  6. Use current funding available for the Caulfield Connector

  7. Deliver final assessment of Rainier Connector opportunity

  8. Economize and increase efficiency of our transit system, including Ride Share and smaller Paratransit buses with expanded circuit

Improve Parks: Protect our Northeast Greenbelt

  1. Protect our treasured 6-mile Northeast Greenbelt from real estate development,  preserve the land just beyond the Greenbelt

  2. Increasing our Open Space, especially ecologically sensitive and flood-hazard acreage

  3. Increase opportunities for residents to recreate in unspoiled, natural areas, including the last “wild” segment of the North Petaluma River

A Petaluma 20-Year General Plan with Strong, Science-Based Actions that Address Climate Change

  1. Reduce carbon emissions from transport and buildings

  2. Keep Petaluma cool and our air clean with more trees

  3. Expand electrification

  4. Facilitate adding solar arrays and EV charge stations through policy and State/Federal grant funding

  5. Incorporate drought, flood prevention, and Sea Level Rise into City planning

Save our Fairgrounds!

  1. Retain our Fairgrounds agricultural heritage and functionality, including its critical role as an emergency center for Petalumans and Sonoma County

  2. Expand agricultural programs for our youth

  3. Increase activities and access to the public year-round

  4. Enhance the grounds, infrastructure, and facilities, improving landscaping and adding trees

  5. Renegotiate Fairgrounds lease to enable all above improvements and place Petalumans as stakeholders to ensure protection of our centrally-located Fair and ag heritage

Strong Economic Growth

  1. Expand green business programs and innovate facilitation policies

  2. Supporting local agriculture with policy and support programs

  3. Improve and streamline permits and taxation for local industry, including Cannabis

  4. Balance property owner and tenant needs with Just Cause Evictions policies that respect the rights of investors and tenants

  5. Introduce landlord incentives for maintenance, improvements, and long-term green investment

Protect Environment for Future Generations

  1. Protect our Heritage California Oak Forests (hundreds-year-old oak trees), wetlands and special-status species

  2. Reduce Petaluma River and Watershed pollution with maintenance, technology, native vegetation, development policy, and adoption of Integrated Pest Management

  3. Plan and Prepare for flooding and Sea Level Rise with state-of-science multi-factor flood modeling

  4. Partner with regional government and nonprofits to save expanded Petaluma Marsh, watershed-critical land, wildlife corridors, and the Petaluma River endangered-species habitat areas

Affordable Housing

  1. Intelligently add housing, focused on affordability for our workers, seniors, and teachers, meeting the minimum State required housing (RHNA)

  2. A stepwise systemic solution for our homeless/houseless

Take care of our Growing Senior Population

  1. Expand support services around health, recreation, quality of life, and transport

  2. Prioritize affordable housing for our seniors