Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council Meeting October 8, 2026
Date: October 08, 2026
Time: 5:30 p.m.
West County Services Center
16390 Main Street, Suite B
Guerneville
Or via Zoom
Registration Required: No
1. Call to order
A. Roll call, including acknowledgment of any member(s) participating remotely and whether anyone over the age of 18 is present with them in the room.
2. Approval of the agenda
3. 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.
4. 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 representative, staff member, or interested party may request that an item be removed from the consent agenda for discussion.
A. Draft minutes from the September 10, 2026 meeting.
5. Councilmember comments
Comments are restricted to matters within the MAC's jurisdiction. Please be brief and limit spoken comments to two minutes. 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.
6. Public comment 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. While Council members may not respond to or discuss comments except to express interest in agendizing the topic for a future meeting, staff can briefly address or follow up after the meeting.
7. County update
A. Supervisor Hopkins' update.
B. Staff update.
8. Active Transportation & Safe Routes to School
Sonoma County, in partnership with the Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authority (SCTCA), is updating its Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan—a long-term vision for improving active transportation options countywide. First adopted in 2010, the plan sets policies and priorities for building a safe, connected network for walking, biking, and other “human‑powered” travel modes. It focuses on the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County and helps guide investment in bicycle and pedestrian projects.
A. Presentation by Vanessa Garrett, Public Infrastructure Deputy Director, and Jovanna Quezada‑Montano, Public Infrastructure Assistant Engineer, providing an overview of Active Transportation (ATP) planning work in the Lower Russian River area. This effort updates the County’s long‑term bicycle and pedestrian network vision, modernizes policies and standards, and incorporates community feedback collected through workshops and engagement events. The presentation will also cover the Forestville connection to the greater ATP in the area.
B. Presentation by Margot Ocanas, Senior Transportation Planner, SCTCA, on Countywide Safe Routes to School (SRTS). The SRTS program combines site assessments, community workshops, and engineering review to identify obstacles to safe active travel and recommend improvements supporting students and families walking and biking to school. Early pedestrian/bicycle safety concepts for the Guerneville Elementary School area, including Armstrong Woods Road & Laughlin Road, will be shared for feedback.
9. Adjournment
The next regular meeting of the Lower Russian River MAC will be held on November 12, 2026.
Open Meetings: Except as expressly authorized under the Ralph M. Brown Act (the State’s local agency open meeting law), all meetings of the River Municipal Advisory Council are open to attendance by interested members of the public.
Agenda Comments: The Chair will invite public comment for agenda items as they are taken up by the Committee. If you wish to speak, you may do so upon receiving recognition by the Chair. Please state your name and limit your comments to the agenda item under discussion. Speakers are limited to three minutes each; available time for comments is determined by the Committee Chair based on agenda scheduling demand and total number of speakers.
Public Comments on Items not on the Agenda: At any Regular Meeting, any member of the public may address the Committee on a matter not listed on the agenda as long as the subject matter is within the jurisdiction of the Committee. If you wish to speak, you may do so upon recognition by the Committee Chair. While members of the public are welcome to address the Committee, under the Brown Act open meeting laws, Committee members may not deliberate or take action on items not on the agenda. Speakers are limited to two minutes each; available time for comments is determined by the Committee Chair based on agenda scheduling demands and total number of speakers.
Documents related to open session agendas: Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council regarding any item on this agenda after the posting of this agenda and not otherwise exempt from disclosure will be made available for public review at 575 Administration Drive, Room 100-A, Santa Rosa, CA, during normal business hours.
Disabled Accommodation: If you have a disability and require a sign language interpreter, assistive listening device, material in an alternate format, or other accommodation to attend, please contact District5@sonomacounty.gov or 1-707-565-2241 at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in order to facilitate arrangements for accommodation.
If you would like Spanish interpretation for a meeting, please contact District5@SonomaCounty.gov or call (707) 565-4683 before 5 p.m. on the Monday before the meeting.
Si desea interpretación al español para una reunión, póngase en contacto con District5@SonomaCounty.gov o llame al (707) 565-4683 antes de las 5 p. m. del lunes anterior a la reunión.
Translate