Rohnert Park E-Edition

Follow us on July 30, 2021 12 Pages Newspaper of Rohnert Park-Cotati-Penngrove-Sebastopol Sign up for the FREE e-Edition Serving Communities and get the latest local news of delivered to your mailbox Rohnert Park, Cotati and Penngrove since Quote of the week: 1993 “Individual commit- ment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” Cahoots Program advancing Rohnert Park swears Vince Lombardi to Cotati-Rohnert Park in new Public Safety By Brittney Scardina with mobile crisis response. This emergency line for issues that do The Cahoots program has crisis response team will be re- not involve an immediate safety Officers Guess Who? been discussed within the Cotati ferred to as SAFE, Specialized threat to the individual in crisis By Cassandra May Albaugh I am a country singer born in City Council since being pre- Assistance for Everyone. or the general public. Rohnert Park City Council met in-person, masks required, on Kansas on July 29, 1966. sented to them in May 2021. The The Cahoots program origi- The Cahoots program has Tuesday July 27. The council chambers were packed with family My father introduced me to program is on its way to making nally started in Eugene, Oregon, been a considerable success for and friends of the one officer to be promoted, and the three new of- country music, and I eventually a difference in Cotati and Rohn- in 1989 as an innovative public Petaluma since they began oper- ficers to be sworn into the Department of Public Safety. Before the ert Park. safety system to provide mental ating an initial pilot, SAFE, over meeting started Chief Tim Mattos and Lieutenant Jeff Nicks went performed in his band. During their meeting on July health first response for a crisis the July 4th weekend. They had Over time, I developed my row by row meeting and greeting the families of their officers. Nicks 27, Cotati City Council dis- involving mental response, eighty-one calls in two weeks. instructs at the academy and is the recruiting officer for the depart- unique pop country sound. cussed how they would be taking homelessness, addiction and Petaluma has expressed that they ment. After Mayor Gerard Giudice gaveled the meeting to order, I have been called the Celine the steps that follow the founda- many other situations. would be willing to work and Chief Mattos called his officers up one by one. Dion of country music. tion of the Cahoots program. The Cahoots team consists of help Cotati and Rohnert Park Leading off was Officer Jon Kempf. Kempf, promoted to Ser- Answer: Martina McBride Martina Answer: These steps will include devel- a two-person team, a medic and with their program. geant, has been with the department for 12 years in various roles in- oping the final budget and pro- a crisis worker with substantial Mayor John C. Moore com- cluding serving as a field training officer. Next up was Officer gram details for a joint training or experience in the ments on how he believes it is a Daniel Espinoza. Espinoza graduated from the Napa Valley Police Inside Cotati-Rohnert Park Cahoots mental health field. They will wonderful program and how it Academy and started work in Rohnert Park this June. He was fol- model of mental health and handle a wide range of mental stands out. “I think the thing that lowed by Officer Lupita Figueroa. Figueroa from Santa Rosa is a this issue homelessness intervention. health-related crises and non- really stands out to me about this first generation Mexican American. She graduated from Sonoma Cotati and Rohnert Park con- emergency medical issues. concept and program is crisis in- State University in 2014, was hired in March of this year, and grad- tinue to move forward with the The Cahoots staff are not po- tervention and to help those peo- uated from the SRJC Police Academy on July 21. Officer Gary Cahoots program to serve the lice officers and do not carry ple who need the help but don’t Ubaldi was the final introduction. Ubaldi isn’t a stranger to fire and PG&E removing trees 2 community to have the direct re- weapons. They will be dis- necessarily need the police police work. He started 21 years ago as a seasonal firefighter with sponse for the right situations patched through 911 or a non- ‘Cahoots’ see page 4 Serial child molester 2 CalFire leading to a career in fire and police services. He lateralled to the department and is continuing his career in Rohnert Park. North Coast Builders 2 After all were introduced, they raised their right hands and re- Free online class 2 peated after Chief Mattos the Oath of Office. Once sworn in, desig- Letters 2 Sebastopol approves change to nated family had the honor of pinning on their new badges. They Chicken talk 3 received a standing ovation and the council members welcomed them to the community and the team. Council member Willy Linares Artwork and originality 3 dangerous road and a use of said, “Thank you for stepping up to serve your community.” The of- Library news 4 ficers and their families then departed to celebrate together. Police Logs 4 In other council news, City Manager Darrin Jenkins presented an Library commission 4 initiative funds overview on behalf of Cindy Bagley, Director of Community Serv- Safe medicine disposal 6 ices. The topic was the cost recovery policy for recreation programs. By Albert Gregory northbound on Petaluma Ave. well as the cost of those two Implemented in 2018, the policy has five levels for cost recovery Salvation Army 6 The Sebastopol City Council from Palm Ave. the city council items. depending on the mix of community and individual benefits. A pro- Oliver’s Market 6 approved a significant road unanimously approved to turn The city council also unani- gram with high community benefit and minimum benefit to individ- Mental health services 7 change to correct a hazardous Palm Ave. from a two-way street mously approved the use of the uals, would be subsidized by the city at a higher level than a program turn on Petaluma Avenue and au- into a one-way between remaining council initiative that primarily benefits a few individuals and had only minimal com- Restaurant guide 10 thorized the use of initiative Petaluma Ave. and South Main funds, which allocate funding to Gardening principles 12 munity benefit. The council accepted the staff recommendation that funds Wednesday morning over S. specific initiatives or projects. the fee structure remain the same with just a few edits for clarity. A Zoom. The project will require re- Each council member is allo- formal resolution with those changes will be brought back for ap- With all five members of the moving pavement arrows and cated one-fifth of the council ini- proval. city council in attendance, they striping. In addition, they will tiative budget of $2,500. Another item was the adoption of a resolution postponing the held a special meeting on July 28 add one-way signs and no-turn Council member Neysa Hin- pending increase to the city’s scheduled sewer rate. This rate in- to approve pertinent items signs at critical points of the ton previously requested her crease was previously postponed because of COVID-19 for a year. Weekly Columns moved from the July 21 regular roadway. It is expected to cost funds be disbursed to the Se- The city bills every two months. The rate increase was to be effec- session. $8,000. bastopol Firefighter Association. Thomas Elias 3 tive in June 2021, meaning it would have shown up on August bills. After the Sebastopol Police The council asked staff to re- Former council member Michael The staff proposed and the council approved a further postponement Darrin Jenkins 3 Department and city hall re- turn with plans for the design of Carnacchi previously asked to Sweeping up solutions 3 of the increase until January 2022. Council member Susan ceived several complaints in- a completed sidewalk on Palm distribute their funds to the Hollingsworth Adams commented that it was because of the city’s Words to ponder 3 volving traffic collisions turning Ave. and additional parking, as ‘Sebastopol’ see page 12 History 3 ‘Rohnert Park’ see page 7 Café Espresso Feature of the week Measure D – The Sebastopol Community YES or NO Apple Press has returned and By Cassandra May Albaugh is ready to crush it Do you want a ban on the sale and use of fireworks in Rohnert Park? The voters will get to decide when they vote on Measure D during the upcoming special election on September 14. The ballot language has been confusing to many, including this reporter leading to a correction of a previous article in the Community Voice. To en- sure the community understands what their vote means, as a public service, we are again running another article on this ballot measure. City Manager Darrin Jenkins recently addressed this topic in his Rohnert Park Blue Allstars 6 column on July 23. He said, “While you will be hearing more as the Sportsman’s report 6 election approaches, I also want to be clear about the language that you will see on the ballot itself.” He went on to say that “State law requires us to use particular language that some may find confusing. You will have the choice to vote yes or no on the following ques- tion…” Entertainment “Shall Ordinance No. 954, an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Rohnert Park Repealing and Replacing Chapter 9.49 of the Rohnert Park Municipal Code to Prohibit the Sale and Use of Fireworks, be adopted? (Emphasis added).” That means a “Yes” vote supports a ban on fireworks sales.

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