Sonoma County backs structure for local Municipal Advisory Councils for Springs, Glen Ellen

Both the Springs and Glen Ellen may soon find themselves empowered beyond their fondest dreams by a recent move to re-energize local neighborhood councils and give them a voice, if not a vote, in setting county policy.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors last week approved a set of policies and procedures to guide the establishment of Municipal Advisory Councils – or MACs – in unincorporated parts of the county, neighborhoods which “have become increasingly municipal in nature and need a mechanism to effectively communicate their needs to County government.”

The panels are meant to allow more neighborhood-level input and advice on such issues as roads and land-use planning – and result in recommendations to county supervisors, who are the only elected local representatives for many rural areas.

Rich Lee, currently a member of the Springs Community Alliance, is supportive of creating a MAC to give the Springs more of a presence in county government.

“There’s only so much that the county government can do,” said Lee. “I think Supervisor Gorin’s done a great job, but the community needs to focus on specific goals, especially in lieu of the Springs Specific Plan that’s going to be finalized in the next few months.”

Under the policies approved by supervisors, municipal advisory councils would consist of five to seven members, who must live within the geographic boundaries of the area for which the group is established. Members would be appointed by supervisors and serve two-year terms with two-term limits.

Subsequent steps to creating a MAC for the Springs – or any other area in the county – are multiple, and the Board’s action on July 18 merely initiated the process.

Last week Supervisor Gorin cautioned, “Let’s be very clear about the hand-holding that will be required for each of these efforts… When you appoint a body, whether it’s five members or seven members, it’s going to take on a life of its own.”

Gorin clarified that any “hand-holding” by the county could include such details as “help with agendas, website design and hosting, MAC training on Brown ACT, Roberts Rules, etc. and staff assistance as the MAC begins to function.”

In other words, guidance in how a county government agency works.

Lee is optimistic about the prospect of such a Springs council.

“I think the Municipal Advisory Council can go a long way to help make many local improvements in terms of parking, traffic calming, safety, the many issues around the Springs would benefit from the presence of a stronger organized community voice,” said Lee. “Which is what a MAC would allow us to do.”

The move to give more control to unincorporated areas of the county has already resulted in the creation of two MACs, one in the Dry Creek Valley north of Healdsburg, and another along Mark West Springs northeast of Santa Rosa, both in Supervisor James Gore’s district.

Supervisor Lynda Hopkins has expressed interest in a MAC along the Russian River in the Guerneville area, and perhaps another along the Sonoma Coast.

A similar organization already exists in the Valley – the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission – which differs from a MAC in that it’s a joint powers agreement with the City of Sonoma.

Conversations have also begun on creating a MAC in the Glen Ellen area, where the ad hoc Glen Ellen Forum was created in 2016. Along with local concerns such as traffic hot spots, improvements to the Glen Ellen Post Office and a cork recycling program, the Glen Ellen Forum has engaged with the Sonoma Coalition to help advocate for the future of the Sonoma Developmental Center, located just south of Glen Ellen.

The recent momentum in creating MACs is the result of and reaction to the dissolution of regional redevelopment agencies, at one time a powerful vehicle for funding and implementing projects in unincorporated areas. State redevelopment agencies were dissolved by Gov. Brown in 2012, and the structure under which they operated, the State Redevelopment Agency, was eliminated.

Before that occurred, the Sonoma Valley Redevelopment Advisory Committee (RAC) for almost 10 years represented the area’s residents, businesses and community organizations in advising the Board of Supervisors and the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (CDC) on projects and programs to improve the Sonoma Valley Redevelopment Project Area.

According to Al Lerma, now the county’s director of Business Development and Innovation, the RAC helped provide funding for affordable housing projects in the narrowly-defined Springs area – down the Highway 12 corridor from Agua Caliente Road to the city limits – and supported the move of the health center to the Springs Corridor to provide better access to health services for local residents.

“Years back they helped La Luz with the acquisition of Booker Hall which remains today alongside their newly redeveloped project,” says Lerma.

Lerma also noted trash pickup programs with Becoming Independent, and an anti-graffiti cleanup program through the Sheriff’s Office, as other accomplishments of the Springs RAC.

John Haig was manager of the Sonoma County Redevelopment Agency that included the Springs RAC from 2010 to 2012. “(The RAC) was instrumental in the Sonoma Valley economic development partnership promoting economic efforts in the Valley,” said Haig, now assistant executive director of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission.

Finally, the RAC served as the local community forum for discussions on issues related to highway project impacts on the community. Today, that role of a local community forum is held by the Springs Community Alliance, and by the Glen Ellen Forum, which give area residents a chance to engage in community activities.

If a Springs MAC were to be created – and the path forward is now clear, thanks to the supervisors’ action – it begs the question as to whether the Springs Community Alliance would continue.

“That’s a very good question and one that we will be discussing in the coming months,” said Lee. “For now though we will continue until the dust settles and we determine what role we can play to contribute to the ongoing conversation in the Springs.”

Email Christian at christian.kallen@sonomanews.com.