Monday night, May 4, the Healdsburg City Council started its meeting with a series of proclamation recognizing Public Service Recognition Week, noting that it is also Municipal Clerks Appreciation Week. Lance Macdonald, the City’s Fire Department division chief and fire marshal, was then showered with praise by Fire Chief Jason Boaz, who listed Macdonald’s many skills and accomplishments in his decade with the Fire Department.
Emily Shartin, David Majerus and Healdsburg resident Ted Calvert accepted a proclamation declaring May as Bike Month and May 14 as Bike to Work Day in Healdsburg.
The Council discussed and approved a proposal by artist Jake Messing to create an agricultural themed mural in the new Foley Family Community Pavilion. Messing was chosen out of 63 applications from local, regional and international artists. His textured, vibrant imagery can be seen in galleries and public art projects worldwide. He told the Council that he’s excited to create a large work of art in his hometown, and said the work would be completed by this fall.
After a lengthy discussion about how to help more people find housing in Healdsburg, the Council ultimately decided not to create a new “local preference” ordinance. Noting that existing efforts by City staff have had good results in encouraging affordable housing developers to place Healdsburg residents and workers in new housing projects, the Council expressed concern over whether a new ordinance would needlessly complicate a system that is already working. The Council gave housing director Stephen Sotomayor direction to look into programs that would help people be ready when housing opportunities become available.
The final major agenda item was to review and approve the results of the Council’s March 25 goal-setting meeting. Assistant City Manager April Mitts reminded the Council that, while there are fewer goals this year than the previous fiscal year, the current list is weighty and complex.
The Council agreed but revisited three previously considered goals that had not received majority support in March and introduced one new addition. The updated set of goals includes an annual update on the City’s 2023 DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Report; a request that the City’s Arts & Culture Commission create a process to choose an “Artist of the Year” for Healdsburg; a request to study alternatives to the traditional fireworks show; and an assignment to identify potential locations and costs to install public sand volleyball courts.
Vice Mayor Ron Edwards was the lone dissenter to the concept of adding new goals, noting that the Council spent a full day in March workshopping its goals.
The full list of Healdsburg City Council fiscal year 2026-2027 goals is online on the city website, healdsburg.gov.
